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PESHAWAR, Feb 12 (APP):As the sun begins to set over the nurseries here at Tarnab, Zahid Ali— a seasoned plant seller, was seen expediting unloading a truckload of ornamental and fruit plants in order to earn maximum capital during spring season.
With the sound of his favorite national song, Dil Dil Pakistan, playing on his mobile, Zahid asked his helpers to shift the precious stock to safety under plastic sheds.
He told APP that ornamental plants, including varieties like araucaria, ganga palms, and night-blooming jasmine, required careful attention to protect them from the unpredictable whims of climate change.
Zahid, known as ‘Khan Ghee’ among his peers, inherited his family’s horticulture business. He sources his plants from Pattoki in Kasur, known for its rich variety of native and exotic plants.
“Spring is the peak season for our business. We usually earn Rs 50000 to one lakh from each truckload,” Zahid told APP.
However, the volatile weather and plant diseases pose risks that could result in significant financial loss. Tarnab, home to nearly 50 nurseries and over 1,000 workers, depends heavily on these spring plantations.
Zahid’s business is not just about profits; it’s also about a wider ecological cause.
“Our first priority is to supply plants to the government and national organizations due to high profits margin,” he said.
“With growing interest in spring tree plantations, orders are coming in from the merged tribal districts, Malakand, and Hazara divisions.”
However, some buyers are finding prices steep, such as Fayaz Khan from Nowshera, who highlighted how ornamental plants have become increasingly unaffordable for the average person.
“I bought a six-foot araucaria for Rs 5,000 five years ago; now it costs Rs 10,000,” Fayaz laments. He believed that the Forest Department should play a more significant role in making plants available at affordable rates to support the nationwide plantation efforts against climate change and deforestation.
In response, Hayat Ali, Conservator at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Forest Department, reassured that millions of saplings are ready for distribution this spring. These will be planted with the help of government agencies, NGOs, farmers, and local communities.
The spring afforestation campaign, according to Hayat Ali, will cover a vast region, including southern, northern, and Malakand forest regions of KP. “We are focusing on both ornamental and native plant species, as well as fruit trees such as almonds, guavas, and peaches,” he said.
In Kohat Division, Commssioner Motasim Billashah while in Nowshera district Deputy Commissioner Irfanullah Mehsud inagurated the afforestration campaign. They planted trees at their offices respectively.
Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, Deputy Project Director of the 10 Billion Trees Afforestation Project said that spring plantation events have been launched across the province with the involvement of community groups, students, and educational institutions.
“Spring plantation is one of the easiest and most effective ways to combat climate change and deforestation,” Khan maintained.
Pakistan, one of the 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change, faces severe environmental challenges, including reduced rainfall and snowfalls, largely attributed to deforestation. Ibrahim stressed that massive tree planting is vital to mitigating these effects. “We have to combat deforestation with urgency otherwise it will lead to starvation,” he said.
Moreover, the provincial climate change policy of 2016, along with the range land policy and REDD-plus strategy, have been operationalized in KP to promote sustainable forestry practices.
Experts believed that these initiatives, supported by the COP 29 UN fund, will further elevate Pakistan’s efforts in environment and forest conservation.
Ibrahim, while emphasizing the importance of media and religious leaders in spreading awareness, called for a united front to mobilize the masses in spring plantations, marking it as a crucial step toward a sustainable and prosperous future.